About

Armour Dance Theatre provides dance training to over 850 students annually, with nearly 600 on scholarship in five locations. Through our programs, we work to remove obstacles and use dance as a vehicle to success. Over the last three decades, our programs have grown in scope and impact. To see where our alums are today click here.

We believe dance is merely the vehicle that transports children through doors that maximize their options in life. We are thrilled when one of our graduates is accepted into a major dance company; however, our ultimate goal is to give children choices beyond their present limitations.

Our Mission

The mission of Armour Dance Theatre is to create a pathway to educational and professional opportunities, for the youth of Miami-Dade County, through the study and performance of dance.

Objectives

Serve youth regardless of income level
Reflect the diversity of the community in all programming
Facilitate the removal of obstacles that may impede success
Offer inclusive programming for youth with or without disabilities

Armour Dance Theatre is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Precollegiate Arts Schools.

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Our Founders

Thomas Armour

was a world-renowned classical ballet dancer, trained in Paris by the legendary Olga Preobrajenska. During his career, he was a principal soloist with the Ida Rubenstein Company, the Nijinska Company, the Woijikowski Company, the De Basil Company, and finally, Leonid Massine’s famed Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo. His performing contemporaries included; Alexandra Danilova, Igor Youskevitch, Andre Eglevsky, Rosella Hightower, Alicia Markova, and Frederic Franklin. One of his most celebrated roles was Vaslav Nijinski’s “Spectre de la Rose”.

After being drafted into Military Intelligence during World War II, Mr. Armour’s performing career ended. In 1949, after the war, he returned to South Florida, where he took over a small ballet school. He started the Miami Ballet Guild, which became the Miami Ballet, with 501c3 non-profit status, in 1951. The Miami Ballet’s goal was to provide first-class training and stage experience for aspiring dancers, by presenting full-scale classical ballets, with professional guest artists, such as Cynthia Gregory, Edward Villella, Natalia Makarova, Peter Martins, and Violet Verdy, to name but a few. Ballets presented, including Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, and La Bayadere. The Miami Ballet was also a co-founder of the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association (SERBA). Mr. Armour was honored with many awards over the years, most recently a “Lifetime Achievement” recognition from Dance For Life for his contributions to the South Florida dance community.

Robert Pike

was a member of the Miami Conservatory faculty and administration for over 47 years. Mr. Pike received his dance training at the Chicago Conservatory of Music and Ballet, and later at the Ballet Theater school in New York with William Dollar and Anatole Vilzak. For several seasons, he performed with New York City Opera Ballet as a soloist and with the touring companies of ”The Student Prince” and “Bells are Ringing”. In 1953 Mr. Pike returned to Miami to study with Mr. Armour, and joined the faculty of the Miami Conservatory and the Miami Ballet Company as a dancer and choreographer. He danced in many ‘summer stock ‘ productions in Miami and in such musicals as “Red Head” and “Pal Joey”. For several years Mr. Pike performed on cruise ships sailing in the Caribbean. Mr. Pike retired from the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet in 2006.